The Best Method For Removing
Cat And Dog Urine From Concrete

I'm going to get right to the point and help you solve your problem of removing that nasty cat (or dog) urine smell from your concrete.

My #1 Method To Remove Urine Smell

This is the process:

  1. Locate the Urine
  2. Clean the residual urine off the surface
  3. Apply an Enzymatic cleaner
  4. Deodorize the area

#1 Locate - How to find dried up pet urine

If you don't know exactly where the smell is coming from, you're best bet for locating all the areas of pee is to use a UV light.

Darken the room an hold the UV Flashlight two to three feet above the floor.

Scan the floor, old urine stains will look kind of greenish or blueish under the UV light. When you find these areas on the floor, outline them with some chalk or a string.

Don't forget to check the walls also. Sometimes a cat or dog will pee next to or up onto the wall. (Marking their area)

If you don't noticed any areas with the black light, you're going to have to use your nose.

Turn the lights back on and just smell the floor to find the area that smells the worst.

See what the stains look like in the video further down the page.

#2A Clean - If the urine is still puddled on the concrete

If you're pet urine is still fresh and puddled on the concrete, put on some rubber gloves and soak up as much as you can with paper towels, newspaper, or a warm damp cloth.

Soak up all the visible pee until you only have a wet spot on the concrete.

Don't attempt to scrub the area, this will only force the pee deeper in to the concrete.

Use a disinfecting cleaner (spray or wipes) to clean the surface pee off the concrete.

Don't clean it with ammonia - pee already has an ammonia smell to it, this will make it worse.

You can use bleach and water: 1 TBS bleach to 2 Cups water.

Only use as much as you need to clean the surface!!

#2B Clean - If the urine is dried on the surface

Once you've located the areas of pet urine, you have to scrub the area and remove any residual urine from the surface of the concrete.

The best way I've found to do this is with TSP or Trisodium Phosphate.

Put you're gloves on, protect your skin and eyes, you're going to scrub the area to clean it an prepare it for the next step.

You'll need a scrub brush, a 2 gallon bucket and some warm water. 

Mix about 1/2 Cup of TSP with a gallon of water. Apply the solution to the concrete and scrub the surface.

The TSP will remove the yellowish stain and the bacteria left on the surface of the concrete.

It will also prep the concrete for the cleaner that removes the urine smell that's deep inside the concrete.

Let this solution sit and soak into the concrete for about 10 minutes. It'll take a little time for cleaning solution to follow the same path as the urine. 

It may start to smell a little worse, that's the water reacting with the uric acid crystals in the pet urine. This is normal.

Once you've scrubbed the area and let is soak a while, clean up any excess water and rinse the area with clean hot water.

Use a wet vacuum if you have one. Rinse two to three times to make sure all the TSP is cleaned from the surface.

After you've done this, it's best to let the concrete dry out before starting the next step. (24 hours is best)

If you just can't wait that long, use a fan or a leaf blower to dry out the area faster, then proceed.

#3 Apply an Enzymatic cleaner

You've got to use an enzymatic cleaner if you want to remove all the cat or dog urine smell from your concrete.

A concentrated one works best on concrete.

Saturate the area with the enzymatic cleaner, go beyond just your marked out area.

Cover the area with some plastic to keep it damp. A trash bag will do if you don't have a roll of plastic.

Don't let it dry out, keep the area wet for at least 10 minutes.

Let the cleaner sit and do it's work for at least three hours.

It'll take some time for the enzymes to soak into the concrete and "break down" the uric acid crystals.

Once the uric acid is broken down it turns into carbon dioxide and water which dissipates on its own.

Don't be surprised if it takes more than one application. If the pet urine has been there a while, one try may not remove all the uric acid crystals.

#4 Deodorize the area

I recommend deodorizing the area after you've removed the pet urine.

If there is any smell still in the air (or in other things) deodorizing will help eliminate that smell also.

If you want to try a home-made deodorizer, you can use the mixture below:

Natural formula - 1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide, few drops essential oil scent of choice.

Apply some to the surface of the concrete and scrub it around. Wipe up any excess.

Or...

You can buy a deodorizer made just for pet odors that works really good.

Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator is made specifically for cat and dog urine odor.

I would recommend this stuff over the natural formula. It's been proven to work and it's not very expensive.


Why does cat urine smell so bad?

Concrete is a very porous material (kinda like a sponge), if it's not sealed, a cat's urine will soak down into the concrete very fast.

Same is true for a dog.

Cat urine contains URIC ACID, when the pee containing the uric acid dries deep down inside the concrete, it forms crystals.

The uric acid crystals form a tight bond within the pores and capillaries of the concrete, making them difficult to remove.

When there's moisture or humidity present, this causes the uric acid crystals to release a smelly gas (and you know what that smells like).

Concrete also absorbs moisture vapor, from the ground below it and from the air above it.

Since there's almost always some kind of moisture present in the concrete.......

There's always a smell of urine. If the concrete was completely dry - there's no smell.

If you've tried washing the concrete to "clean it", you've probably just made the smell worse.

It's the combination of moisture and the crystals that make cat pee smell so bad!


See what pet urine looks like when you use a UV Blacklight

What is the best enzyme cleaner for cat urine? 

There's two really good enzyme cleaners you can use to remove your pet urine smell.

#1. Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength Stain And Odor Eliminator

#2. Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover

Both are excellent at removing pet urine and the smell.

They're also both safe for pets and your home. You can use them on concrete, carpet, hardwood, tile, and linoleum.

These will also clean dog urine, feces, vomit, and drool.

The enzymatic bacteria are activated when they come in contact with the uric acid crystals. They feed on the crystals, and other organic material, until they are eliminated. 

Fact: Bio-enzymatic cleaners contain specific quantities and qualities of bacteria along with enzymes and microbial nutrients that essentially digest chemical and organic waste (soils).

In conclusion:

If you follow my above method for removing cat urine smell from concrete, you will most likely get rid of the odor.

It may take a few applications depending on how long the urine has been in the concrete. Be patient, it takes time for the enzymes to completely "eat" the urine.

This method has worked for me on several occasions and I've recommended it to my customers with very good results.

Good luck and Happy Cleaning!

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